The Bottom Line (17 page)

“Almost home.” Juliana steered around the last corner and onto Mallory’s block.

Mallory watched the houses on her street pass by through the passenger window, wondering again why she was with Jules and not Ben.

“Ben said he’d be waiting at the house.” Juliana gave her a sidelong glance. “Hang in there.”

“I’m fine.” At least physically, that was true. Mallory’s pain was bearable. Her anxiety, however, was spiraling.

She kept reminding herself that Ben had spent the night with her at the hospital. When he woke, he went to fetch an enormous coffee and a blueberry muffin. He ate in her room while she choked down the hospital breakfast. Once the doctor came by and pronounced her ready to head home early that evening, Ben started sending out a flurry of text messages.

Mallory had finally worked up the guts to ask what was going on when Juliana arrived. Ben had given Mallory a quick kiss, told her Juliana would get her home, and then promised to be waiting at the house when they got there. He was out the door before she could even catch her breath and ask why in the hell he was leaving her.

Jules eased her Accord into the driveway as Mallory heaved a relieved sigh. Ben’s truck was there, so things were fine after all.

“You thought he was lying to you?” Juliana popped off her seat belt as she shook her head.

“Not… lying. Not really. I just…” A shrug would’ve hurt her side, so she refrained and let the words hang there.

“You just can’t seem to stop comparing every guy in the world to that bastard ex of yours.”

Because Jules had always seemed rather reticent for Mallory to get too serious with Ben, it came across as rather odd that she was supporting him now. Why had she had such a change of heart?

“I’m not comparing him to Jay,” Mallory insisted.

Jules snorted. “You know, one of the reasons I was so pissy about you dating Ben was because I was worried he’d hurt you.”

“So you’re not now?”

“No,” Jules replied. “I’m not. He’s shown me he’s a good guy.” She crawled out of the car. She came around to open Mallory’s door. “Let’s get you inside and settled.”

After Mallory got to her feet, she leaned heavily against the car, fighting back another wave of dizziness. Seemed like the anesthesia was taking forever to wear off. The nurses had warned her she might get drowsy for the next day or so. What she wanted at that moment was to collapse in the easy chair and go back to sleep.

Then the familiar red car over Juliana’s shoulder caught her eye. “Danielle’s here?”

“Maybe.”

She looked around to see if Bethany’s blue Beetle was also there. It was parked just behind the neighbor’s sedan. “Beth’s here too? I told you not to make a fuss. Why’d everyone come?”

After grabbing the plastic bag with the medical supplies, Jules tossed Mallory an incredulous frown. “Why do you think, silly?”

“I didn’t want anyone to go to any trouble,” Mallory grumbled under her breath. While she loved that everyone cared for her so much, the idea of having so many people waiting for her was daunting. Especially when she’d expected it to only be her and Ben.

Didn’t help that the house was upside down. He’d started on the master bedroom and bath, so her clothes and toiletries were strewn around the great room. She’d been sleeping on the fold-out couch. Because of her pain, the recliner would be where she’d rest for the next few days. She didn’t mind the mess, but now everyone could see what a wreck the place was.

Jules led her through the front door instead of the garage. It opened before they were all the way up to the porch. Danielle grinned at them through the storm door as Bethany waited right behind her, holding Rascal in her arms as she stroked his furry back.

Where’s Ben?

“Welcome home!” Danielle held the door while they came inside.

Juliana hurried ahead and disappeared up the stairs with the bag of supplies.

“Wait!” Mallory called after her. She’d need the stuff Jules was taking upstairs, and if the master suite was half the chaos it was last time she been up there, they’d never find the supplies again. The bag would disappear in the mixture of paint cans, brushes, rollers, and tarps. “Jules, I need—” The rest of her words froze in her throat when Ben stepped out of the bedroom and came down the stairs, smiling so broadly she almost smiled back.

Not until he tells me what he’s been up to.

“Welcome home, Mal.” He brushed a kiss over her cheek before bending down to help remove her shoes. “You need to get settled and get some rest. How’s the pain?”

“Where were you?” Her voice sounded like some pouty kid.

Ben didn’t owe her anything, least of all an explanation. He’d already gone above and beyond the call of duty to stick so close to her after the surgery. For God’s sake, the man slept in a chair simply to keep an eye on her all night.

She’d tried to come up with a million reasons he hadn’t taken her home from the hospital—anything from Amber’s gymnastics to some emergency at a worksite. None of them had seemed important enough for him to let Jules come and drag her home.

The dichotomy of her feelings only added to Mallory’s light-headedness.

“Busy,” he replied with a smirk. He set her shoes in the foyer closet, took the jacket draped over her shoulder, and hung it up. “Need a painkiller yet?”

“I’m fine.” Her tone was harsh even to her own ears.

What’s wrong with me?

She’d sworn to herself she wasn’t going to be dependent on a guy. Jules, Beth, and Danielle had taken great care of her after her mastectomy, and this surgery was a cakewalk compared to that. She had no business being so snotty to Ben after everything he’d done.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. Maybe he’d think she was still too drugged up to be polite.

“For what?”

“For snapping at you.”

“You just had surgery. You’re allowed to be grouchy.”

The dizziness was still plaguing her, and she was ready to get settled, pop a painkiller, and sleep so she didn’t keep biting his head off for no good reason. When she tried to head down the hall toward the kitchen, Ben took her hand in his. “Not that way.”

“What are you talking about? I was going to sit on my recliner and—”

Ben tugged gently on her hand. “I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?”

He nodded. “It’s upstairs.”

The notion of walking up a flight of stairs seemed daunting, especially when doing something as simple as coming in from the car had sapped most of her strength. “I’d rather go to the great room and—”

He cut her off by scooping her into his arms. His tender touch kept her sore side well protected. “I’d rather you go to your bedroom.”

With her three friends laughing and following behind, he carried her up the stairs and into the master suite.

She closed her eyes, afraid to see it was still a disaster area. Although he’d said there was a surprise, she couldn’t imagine the place was done. No way. The bathroom hadn’t even had the new vanity installed.

“Welcome to your new bedroom,” Ben said.

Mallory opened her eyes and gasped at the neat and tidy bedroom. “How did you—”

“This is why I wouldn’t let you come up and see the progress last week. I wanted it to be ready for you when you got home.”

“It’s… it’s… beautiful.” Tears stung her eyes.

Beth let the squirming cat down. Rascal jumped onto the bed, settled on his usual right side, and watched her. Mallory could have sworn he was grinning.

The room had been transformed from beige and boring to a pleasant, soothing seafoam green. Standing in the middle of the room was the enormous four-poster bed she’d bought right after Jay left. She’d tossed their old mattress out in the trash, sold the bedroom set they’d purchased on their honeymoon, and gotten herself the type of furniture she’d always wanted but he’d nixed.

None of it had been set up yet. She’d had the delivery men leave it wrapped in plastic in the empty guest room, figuring she’d move it into the master when the renovation was done. She’d been sleeping on the mattress and box spring and a cheap frame.

Now the gorgeous cherrywood bed rested in the perfect spot in the middle of the room with nightstands flanking both sides. The matching bureau was next to the bay window, and the dresser was near the closet door. Everything was perfectly placed on the new carpet she hadn’t known Ben had installed.

“How did you get this all done?” Mallory asked, her voice choked with emotion.

Ben swallowed hard, betraying that his own emotions were running as high as hers. “Most of it was done before your surgery. Just finished a few details this morning. I couldn’t let you come home after surgery and not have a bed to sleep in.”

“But all this work…”

“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” With a wink, he carried her to the en suite bath.

This time, she couldn’t stop the tears from spilling over her lashes when she saw all he’d accomplished. A new whirlpool tub. A double vanity with vessel sinks. A shower with a glass door. While she remembered picking out the light fixture, she hadn’t expected it to look so ornate. The walls were a deep hunter green, complementing the lighter shade of the bedroom.

“You’re crying,” Ben said, his voice full of concern. “You don’t like it?”

She sniffled and laid her cheek on his shoulder. “I
love
it.”

I love you.

When she’d hired Ben it had been to restore her house. Slowly but surely he was turning it into a place that felt like home.
Her
home. Yet there was still so much of him in every room—just enough masculinity to make the house… perfect.

Jules stepped through the door. “Nice. You did good, Ben.”

“Thanks.”

“Did you see the bed?” she asked Mallory.

“Yeah,” she replied, rubbing her cheek against the soft flannel of his shirt. “It’s wonderful.”

“Good. Now I can turn down the sheets and prop up some pillows for you. Time for you to rest.”

Ben took her back to the bed and set her on her feet. The care he took was evident in his gentle touch. “Want to put on a nightgown or something?”

“Yeah, but…” She cast a glance to Jules and Beth as they fussed over the bed. Rascal hopped down and headed to the bay window to curl up on the new cushion. “The girls should help me.”

The surgeon had left a drainage tube that would probably gross Ben out. The thought of him seeing her new breast before the incision was healed bothered her. It was one thing to keep her company in the hospital, but it was another altogether to have him actually care for her incision. When he got to see her new breast, she wanted to be wearing a sexy black negligee.

Danielle picked up the bag of medical supplies. “How about we get her settled?”

Giving her friend a grateful smile, she nodded. “Please, Ben?”

* * *

Although he wanted to show her how well he could take of her, Ben acquiesced. Mallory obviously didn’t want him to see her right after her surgery. Part of him was offended that she didn’t want his help. But then again, had he been in a similar situation, he might not enjoy her being around when he was at his worst.

When she’d first arrived, he thought he’d made a big mistake not driving her home from the hospital. There hadn’t been enough time to get everything finished before the surgery. A few of the details had to be handled today including getting the furniture set up. He’d called in Jules to drive Mallory home and then phoned Robert, Danielle, and Bethany to act as renovation reinforcements. It was the first time he’d met Mallory’s friends, but they’d been very helpful in getting the finishing touches in place. They’d completed the last of the tasks only moments before Jules drove into the driveway.

Once Mallory saw the bedroom suite, her whole body had relaxed and a few tears had fallen. Only then did he stop worrying that she’d hate him for not bringing her home.

The place looked great. Her taste in decorating had been spot-on, including the gorgeous four-poster bed. As he and Robert set the mattress on the frame, his friend had made a rather risqué suggestion on how great a bed like that was to tie someone up. Ben snorted a laugh at the comment, but it had put visuals of Mallory tying his wrists to the bedposts and then making love to him firmly into his mind. When she was healed, he was going to suggest it if for no other reason than to see her reaction.

While the ladies got her ready to rest, he headed downstairs. Robert was slipping his arms into his jacket.

“You should’ve come up,” Ben said.

“Nah. She’s a private kinda person. I didn’t want to intrude. What did she think?”

“She
loved
it,” Ben replied. “I can’t thank you enough.”

“You can buy me a beer next time we catch a game at the bar.”

“You’ve got a deal.”

They shook hands before Robert headed out through the laundry room, shutting the door behind him.

Ben had been so busy working on the master suite he hadn’t been in the kitchen at all. Mallory’s friends obviously had, because the place was spotless. The great room was as well. Slowly the house was getting done. Soon, Mallory would have her home the way she’d dreamed, just like he’d promised her.

Then where would they be? He’d have no more excuses for seeing her so often.

Together.
They’d still be together. A couple. There was no doubt in his mind.

All he’d wanted was a job to keep food on the table for him and Amber. He hadn’t been searching for love. Yet here it was in the form of a woman with courage and beauty and a heart as big as Montana.

The time had come to tell Mallory his feelings. Then perhaps she’d confess hers, too.

“Ben?” Jules’s voice broke him from his reverie.

“Yeah?” Mallory’s three friends were donning their coats. “You’re leaving?”

Jules nodded. “She’s sleeping. I honestly think she’s doing fantastic. This surgery was a walk in the park compared to the mastectomy.”

He hated even thinking about all Mallory had endured in that ordeal. “She doesn’t need you now?”

All three women shook their heads.

“She’ll be fine,” Bethany said. “Just needs rest and healing.”